Apparatus and method for preserving spacing around a vehicle

ABSTRACT

An approach is provided to preserve spacing around a vehicle so as to enable movement of the vehicle from a stationary position, and to accommodate one or more lifestyle accessories that may be associated with the vehicle. The approach involves protecting the vehicle from one or more other vehicles or obstructions positioned, or moved into position, near the vehicle by deploying at least a portion of one or more load bearing members supported by a mounting member attached to the vehicle to a predetermined position within a range that includes a fully refracted position and a fully extended position. The approach also involves deploying the one or more load bearing members to a predetermined position and attaching one or more support members associated with the one or more lifestyle accessories to at least one of the one or more load bearing members.

BACKGROUND

Manufacturers and service providers are continually challenged todeliver value and convenience to consumers. Various vehicles such asautomobiles are often left stationary in locations that that inviteother vehicles or objects to encroach on the stationary vehicle. Such anencroachment may damage and/or immobilize the stationary vehicle.

SUMMARY

Therefore, there is a need for an approach to preserve spacing around avehicle.

According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a mounting memberhaving at least one support bracket, the mounting member configured tobe attached to a vehicular frame by one or more couplings, the one ormore couplings configured to fail based, at least in part, on a loadthreshold being exceeded. The apparatus also comprises a load bearingmember supported by the at least one support bracket, the load bearingmember comprising a first end portion and a second end portion distalthe first end portion, at least the first end portion being movable to apredetermined position within a range that includes a fully retractedposition and a fully extended position. The apparatus further comprisesan actuator operatively coupled to the load bearing member, the actuatorbeing configured to selectively control movement of at least the firstend portion of the load bearing member. In embodiments, the loadthreshold is associated with an impact load applied to at least thefirst end portion of the load bearing member.

According to another embodiment, a method comprises causing, at least inpart, a mounting member having at least one support bracket to beattached to a vehicular frame by one or more couplings, the one or morecouplings configured to fail based, at least in part, on a loadthreshold being exceeded. The method also comprises causing, at least inpart, a load bearing member supported by the at least one supportbracket and having a first end portion and a second end portion distalthe first end portion to be moved to a predetermined position within arange that includes a fully refracted position and a fully extendedposition by way of an actuator operatively coupled to the load bearingmember, the actuator being configured to selectively control movement ofat least the first end portion of the load bearing member. Inembodiments, the load threshold is associated with an impact loadapplied to at least the first end portion of the load bearing member.

Exemplary embodiments are described herein. It is envisioned, however,that any system that incorporates features of any apparatus, methodand/or system described herein are encompassed by the scope and spiritof the exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, andnot by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system capable of preserving spacing around avehicle, according to one example embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example implementation of a system capable ofpreserving spacing around a vehicle, according to one exampleembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example shear member support bracket and shearmember actuator, according to one example embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a close-up view of an example shear membersupport bracket, according to one example embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a shear member in an engaged position, accordingto one example embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of an example of a shear member support bracket andshear member actuator orientation, according to one example embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of an indirect attachment of a system capable ofpreserving spacing around a vehicle to a vehicular frame, according toone example embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a diagram of an indirect attachment of a system capable ofpreserving spacing around a vehicle to a vehicular frame, according toone example embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a process for preserving spacing around avehicle, according to one example embodiment; and

FIG. 10 is a diagram of a chip set that can be used to implement anexample embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples of an apparatus and method for preserving spacing around avehicle are disclosed. In the following description, for the purposes ofexplanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. It isapparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments may bepracticed without these specific details or with an equivalentarrangement. In other instances, well-known structures and devices areshown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuringthe embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system capable of preserving spacing around avehicle, according to one embodiment. Various vehicles such asautomobiles are often left stationary or parked in locations that thatinvite other vehicles or objects to encroach on the stationary vehicle.Such an encroachment may damage and/or immobilize the stationaryvehicle.

For example, vehicles are often left in a stationary position on astreet, in a parking lot, in a garage, etc., such that one or more othervehicles may be left stationary or parked next to, in front of, orbehind the stationary vehicle. When moving into a very close positionfrom any direction, an encroaching vehicle may accidentally, orintentionally, contact the stationary vehicle. Such contact may damagethe stationary vehicle which can be aggravating, as well as timeconsuming and costly to repair.

Considering a scenario in which a series of vehicles are aligned in ahead-to-tail manner by way of parallel parking or other means, not onlymight an encroaching vehicle contact an already parked vehicle, but onceparked, the encroaching vehicle might be parked very close to or incontact with the already parked vehicle. In such a situation, vehicleoperators often find that their vehicles are “boxed” in and cannot bemoved at all. Alternatively, the one or more other vehicles are so closeto the operator's vehicle that that vehicle cannot be safely moved fromits stationary position without causing damage the operator's vehicleand/or any of the one or more other vehicles.

Similarly, if one or more vehicles are left stationary in a side-by-sidearrangement, vehicular doors may be inoperable because there is notenough clearance between the stationary vehicles. Or, when an operatoror passenger exits a vehicle that has encroached on the stationaryvehicle, the exiting party may cause a door of their vehicle to contactthe stationary vehicle. Such contact may also damage the stationaryvehicle.

In either case, inadvertent and unexpected damage to a vehicle can beinconvenient, aggravating, time consuming, and costly. Additionally, ifa stationary vehicle cannot be moved from its stationary position,unless one or more other vehicles that are parked around it are movedfirst, it is not uncommon to receive a costly parking fine that couldotherwise have been avoided had a vehicle operator been able to move thevehicle from its stationary position.

Vehicle operators often transport or use various lifestyle accessoriessuch as bicycle racks, grills, chairs, couches, tents, storagecontainers, coolers, etc., when traveling or participating in atailgating party, for example. Many of these lifestyle accessories areincompatible when it comes to transport and/or use. For example, if twotypes of lifestyle accessories can only be transported in the same waysuch as by using a roof-rack, then it may be inconvenient or impossibleto transport both of those lifestyle accessories without attempting todo so unsafely. Similarly, some vehicle operators introduce safetyhazards when attempting to transport and/or use some lifestyleaccessories by, for example, ineffectively securing a lifestyleaccessory to any portion of a vehicle or by using a trailer to haul oneor more accessories on any given occasion. Additionally, attempting tofind a bike rack or storage container that is compatible with aparticular vehicle type and/or brand can be a costly and time-consumingexercise.

To address these problems, a system 100 of FIG. 1 introduces thecapability to preserve spacing around a vehicle and/or accommodate oneor more lifestyle accessories. The system 100 ensures that a stationaryvehicle retains an adequate spacing between itself and any othervehicles that may encroach and/or park at least in front of or behindthe stationary vehicle. The system 100, alone or in combination with oneor more other system 100's, is configured to preserve adequate spacingbetween vehicles by moving one or more portions of one or more loadbearing members to a predetermined position other than a fully retractedposition. The one or more load bearing members are configured to extendoutward from one or more of a forward portion, rearward portion, sideportion, top portion, or bottom portion of a vehicle, depending on aparticular implementation of the system 100.

To ensure ease of egress of the stationary vehicle from its stationaryposition, the system 100 retracts the one or more load bearing membersto regain maneuvering ability in the preserved spacing between thestationary vehicle and the one or more other vehicles that may beadjacent to the stationary vehicle. In embodiments, these protrudingload bearing members also provide protection to the stationary vehicle'sbumpers, side panels, and/or any other body panels to prevent marringfrom contact by any encroaching vehicles or objects.

The system 100 may also serve as a means for accommodating one or morelifestyle accessories by enabling optional attachment of one or morelifestyle accessories and/or enabling one or more lifestyle accessorysupports to be attached to and supported by any combination of the oneor more load bearing members when at least portions of such load bearingmembers are extended to a predetermined position from a fully retractedposition.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system 100 comprises a mounting member 101, oneor more couplings 103 a-103 n (collectively referred to as coupling103), a load bearing member 105, a load bearing member actuator 107, oneor more support brackets 109 that may or may not include a shear membersupport bracket 111, a shear member 113, and a shear member actuator115.

According to various embodiments, the mounting member 101 may be anycombination of a base plate, series of plates, clamps, kits, etc., towhich the one or more support brackets 109 and/or the shear membersupport bracket 111 may be attached. Alternatively, the mounting member101 may be unitarily formed with any combination of the one or moresupport brackets 109 and/or the shear member support bracket 111. In oneor more embodiments, the mounting member 101, support brackets 109, andshear member support bracket 111 comprise any combination of metals,polymers, carbon fiber, or other material capable of supporting anyother components of the system 100.

In some embodiments, the support brackets 109 are configured to supportany combination of the load bearing member 105 and/or the load bearingmember actuator 107. Alternatively, the load bearing member actuator 107may itself be configured to be attached to the mounting member without asupport bracket 109. The illustrated support brackets 109 may be variedin geometry so as to encapsulate the load bearing member actuator 107 ina weather-resistant covering. Alternatively, the system 100 mayadditionally include a cover 116 for at least the load bearing memberactuator 107 that is either on an inside portion or an outside portionof any support bracket 109 to protect the load bearing member actuator107 from any detrimental environmental effects.

If configured to be separately attached, the support brackets 109 may beconfigured to accommodate a lesser load than the shear member supportbracket 111 because, as discussed in more detail below, the supportbrackets 109 may be positioned on the mounting member 101 such that theyare isolated from a direct impact load that is applied to the loadbearing member 105. If isolated from such a load, the support brackets109 and any fastener by which they are attached to the mounting member101 need only be capable of withstanding reaction loads that occurduring the load bearing member actuator 107 operation. But in someembodiments, the support brackets 109 may be configured to handle anyextensive load beyond the minimum discussed above that may be applied tothe support brackets 109 and/or any corresponding fasteners toaccommodate a particular implementation, marketability purposes, or easeof manufacture.

According to various embodiments, the mounting member 101 is configuredto be attached or mounted directly or indirectly to a vehicular frame117 using one or more of the couplings 103. The vehicular frame 117 maybe any vehicle frame component of any type of vehicle such as, but notlimited to, ground vehicles such as automobiles, motorcycles, and thelike, nautical vehicles such as, but not limited to, boats, personalwatercraft, and the like, aeronautical vehicles such as airplanes,helicopters, etc., or any combination or variation thereof. A vehicularframe 117 may be exposed to an outer environment or it may be shieldedat least partially from an outer environment by one or more vehicularexternal elements 119 such as, but not limited to, a vehicular bumper,side-panel, quarter-panel, fender, hood, hull, roof panel, fairing, etc.

In one or more embodiments, the load bearing member 105 may be anycombination of single-piece, solid, hollow, telescoping, or otherwisemulti-piece rods, beams, or other components that comprise anycombination of materials including, but not limited to, metals such assteel, stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, various alloys, polymers,rubbers, ceramics, carbon fibers, etc.

The load bearing member 105 has a first end portion 105 a and a secondend portion 105 b distal the first end portion 105 a. As discussed inmore detail below and illustrated in FIG. 2, the load bearing member 105is operatively coupled to the load bearing member actuator 105 and maybe controlled such that at least the first end portion 105 a is moved toa predetermined position which may be any position including a fullyretracted position, a fully extended position, or any position inbetween in a direction 121 on demand by the load bearing member actuator107.

The first end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 may bedeployed to a predetermined position other than the fully refractedposition for any reason such as, but not limited to, preserving spacingaround a stationary vehicle to which the system 100 is attached, tofacilitate attaching one or more lifestyle accessories 122 to the loadbearing member 105, enable attachment or deployment of one or moreairflow control members, or simply to provide protection for thestationary vehicle from any potential encroaching vehicles or objects.Similarly, the first end portion 105 a may be deployed during a parkingoperation to protect the vehicle to which the system 100 is attachedfrom an encroaching or stationary object while the vehicle is in motionsuch as another vehicle, a wall, a shopping cart, a support beam, etc.

The predetermined position to which the first end portion 105 a of theload bearing member 105 may be moved, if it is other than the fullyretracted position, may be any position preset to correspond with aspecific preset function of the system 100 or determined on demand basedon a received instruction. For example, the predetermined position maybe preset for a particular parking scenario such as parallel parking Thepredetermined position may be the same or different for a differentparking scenario such as parking a vehicle in a shopping center parkingspace, or sitting stationary but not officially parked. Thepredetermined position may be based on a particular use of the system100 such as a position that corresponds to a particular type oflifestyle accessory 122 or an amount the first end portion 105 a shouldbe deployed from the fully retracted position while the vehicle is inmotion. Alternatively, the predetermined position may be set on the fly,such as based on a received instruction from a user input or based on adetermined available spacing for deploying the first end portion 105 aof the load bearing member 105 from the fully retracted position.

In turn, the first end portion 105 a may be moved to a predeterminedposition that is the fully refracted position, or retracted to apredetermined position closer to the fully retracted position than aninitial deployment position, for any reason such as, but not limited to,promoting ease of egress of a vehicle to which the system 100 isattached from a stationary position or upon removal of the one or morelifestyle accessories 122 from the load bearing member 105.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the system 100, regardless ofwhether the mounting member 101 is configured to be directly orindirectly attached to the vehicular frame 117, is configured to move atleast a portion of the load bearing member 105 through a cooperatingvehicular external element 119 having an opening 127. In otherembodiments, the system 100 may include a mounting member 101 that isconfigured to cantilever at least the load bearing member 105, or themounting member 101 may be configured to cooperate with an adapter kitthat facilitates indirect attachment to the vehicular frame 117. Such acase may be beneficial, for example, if a cooperating vehicular externalelement is not available and accordingly lacks a through-hole such asopening 127 through which a portion of the load bearing member 105 maymove. A cantilevered or indirectly attached mounting member 101, in someembodiments, facilitates movement of the first end portions 105 a to thepredetermined position while avoiding contact with the vehicularexternal element 119.

In one or more embodiments, the first end portion 105 a may beconfigured to be fully retracted to a position such that the first endportion 105 a is flush with an external plane or surface 126 of thevehicular external element 119 so as to blend in with an external planeor surface 126 of the vehicular external element 119, providingaesthetic appeal and hide-away functionality. Alternatively, the firstend portion 105 a may be configured to be retracted to a positionbetween the vehicular frame 117 and an external plane or surface 126 ofthe vehicular external element 119 in the direction 121 (i.e.,recessed). In such an embodiment, the vehicular external element 119 maybe configured to include a closable cover, or the system 100 may includea cover portion to at least partially seal the opening 127 upon movingthe first end portion 105 a to the fully retracted position. Or, forexample, the first end portion 105 a may be configured to be retractedonly to a position that is beyond the external plane or surface 126 ofthe vehicular external element 119 along the direction 121.

In some embodiments, the load bearing member 105 may be configured toinclude a bumper portion 125. The bumper portion 125 may be any of anend cap or attachment to the first end portion 105 a that comprises asoft polymer—for example, a coating that is applied to the first endportion 105 a,or a portion of the first end portion 105 a impregnatedwith one or more materials to make the first end portion 105 a of theload bearing member 105 non-marking to prevent or limit any damage thefirst end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 may cause to anencroaching vehicle or object. In various embodiments, the bumperportion 125 may also include a shock-absorbing portion, such as, but notlimited to a spring, foam, rubber or polymer. Alternatively, the bumperportion 125 may be an end cap or attachment that is rigid and notnon-marking The bumper portion 125 may take on any geometry, such as theend cap discussed above, an exposed end portion of the first end portion105 a of the load bearing member 105, a cantilevered beam extending fromthe first end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105, a plow, abrush guard, etc., that, depending on geometry, could retract to aposition between the vehicular frame 117 and the external plane orsurface 126 of the vehicular external element 119, retract to a positionthat is flush with the external plane or surface 126 of the vehicularexternal element 119, or extend beyond the external plane or surface 126of the vehicular external element 119.

In one or more embodiments, the first end portion 105 a may beconfigured to be moved to a predetermined position, such as a fullyretracted position, a fully extended position, or any positiontherebetween on demand by the load bearing member actuator 107. Thefully extended position of the first end portion 105 a of the loadbearing member 105 may be limited by any of physical constraints,implementation or usage based instruction constraints, any systeminstructed safety constraints, etc. As such, the fully extended positionof the first end portion 105 a could be set to be anywhere in a rangebetween 1 inch outward from the external plane or surface 126 of thevehicular external element 119, for example, for protective purposes, upto 36 inches for space saving and/or for lifestyle attachment purposes.It should be understood, however, that the fully extendable length limitof the first end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 may be setto be any distance from the fully retracted position based, at least inpart, on the various load limits that the load bearing member 105, themounting member 101, the couplings 103, and/or the support brackets109/111 can accommodate.

For purposes of space saving to ease egress from a stationary position,the predetermined position may be anywhere between 4 and 12 inches fromthe external plane or surface 126 of the vehicular external element 119.Most vehicle operators, however, need at least 6 inches to safely movetheir vehicle out of a stationary position when surrounded by othervehicles or objects. As such, to simplify the system 100, the fullyextended position could be set at 6 inches so save weight and materialcosts, for example. But, as discussed above, the fully extended positioncould be any distance from the external plane or surface 126 of thevehicular external element 119, or any distance from the fully retractedposition without relation to a vehicular external element 119. Forexample, if a vehicle does not have a vehicular external element 119, orthe system 100 is not in a situation in which it cooperates with avehicular external element 119, then the fully extended position of thefirst end portion 105 a of the load bearing member could be determinedas a relative distance in relation to the fully retracted position.

While the first end portion 105 a could be selected to be moved to anyposition between and including the fully retracted position and thefully extended position on demand, in some embodiments, however, thefirst end portion 105 a may be fixed to be moved only between the fullyextended position and the fully refracted position. Such limitations maybe imposed as a cost saving measure, for example, to reduce thecomplexity of the load bearing member actuator 107, and/or the system100 as a whole.

According the various embodiments, the load bearing member actuator 107may be any of an electro-mechanical driver such as, but not limited to,a linear actuator, motor-driven screw, stepper motor, solenoid actuator,hydraulic actuator, pneumatic actuator, manual hand-crank actuator, orany combination thereof, configured to directly or indirectly controlmovement of the first end portion 105 a of the load bearing member. Someembodiments, for example, may include an electro-mechanical driver and amanual hand-crank option to provide a back-up in case of mechanical orelectrical failure so that the first end portion 105 a of the loadbearing member 105 may still be moved to the predetermined position ondemand regardless of whether the electro-mechanical actuator isfunctional. Or, the load bearing member actuator 107 may simply be amanual actuator to reduce system 100 complexity and costs.

In some embodiments, as a safety measure, the system 100 may include ashear member 113, as discussed above. Upon causing the first end portion105 a of the load bearing member 105 to reach a predetermined positionthat is other than the fully retracted position, or at least in thefully extended position, the shear member 113 may be driven by the shearmember actuator 115 into a shear member receiving portion included inthe load bearing member 105. The shear member receiving portion (seeFIG. 3), for example, may be a through-hole positioned in the loadbearing member between the first end portion 105 a and the second endportion 105 b. The shear member 113, in some embodiments, may be, forexample, a pin or rod of any shape in its cross-section that is insertedin a direction that is about perpendicular to the direction 121. Theapproximately perpendicular direction with respect to the direction 121may be any of vertical or horizontal with respect to a ground plane, forexample. But, it should be noted that the shear member 113 could beinserted into the shear member receiving portion in any direction,including angles that are greater than 0 degrees and less than 90degrees with respect to the direction 121.

In one or more embodiments, the shear member 113 comprises one or morecomponents comprising any combination of materials including, but notlimited to, metals such as steel, stainless steel, titanium, aluminum,various alloys, polymers, rubbers, ceramics, carbon fibers, etc.

The shear member 113 and the shear member actuator 115 are supported bythe shear member support bracket 111. The shear member support bracket111 is configured to be attached to or integrally formed with themounting member 101. The shear member support bracket 111 comprises oneor more components comprising any combination of materials including,but not limited to, metals such as steel, stainless steel, titanium,aluminum, various alloys, polymers, rubbers, ceramics, carbon fibers,etc. The shear member support bracket 111 may be of a same or differentmaterial than at least the mounting member 101, the shear member 113, orany other support bracket 109, for example.

When in an engaged position inside the shear member receiving portionincluded in the load bearing member 105, the shear member 113 isolatesthe load bearing member actuator 107 from any impingement and/or impactloads that may be imposed on the first end portion 105 a of the loadbearing member 105. For example, if a load is applied to the first endportion 105 a of the load bearing member by an external force such as anencroaching vehicle or object, the shear member 113 is configured todivert the force from applied to the first end portion 105 a of the loadbearing member 105 through the shear member 113, the shear membersupport bracket 111, the mounting member 101 and accordingly to thecouplings 103 and the vehicular frame 117. Such diversion of forceprotects the load bearing member actuator 107 from damage and may alsooptionally limit any necessary high strength elements of the system 100to only the load bearing member 105, the shear member 113 and the shearmember support bracket 111, for example.

Similar to the load bearing member actuator 107, the shear memberactuator 115 may be any of an electro-mechanical driver such as, but notlimited to, a linear actuator, motor-driven screw, stepper motor,solenoid actuator, hydraulic actuator, pneumatic actuator, manualhand-crank actuator, or any combination thereof, optionally inconjunction with a direction reversing linkage (see FIG. 4), dependingon placement of shear member actuator 115 such as adjacent to, or atopof, the shear member support bracket 111.

According to various embodiments, the system 100 may also include acollar 123 that is any of attached, positioned around, or integrallyformed with the load bearing member 105 between the first end portion105 a and the second end portion 105 b of the load bearing member 105.The collar 123 may comprise any number of components that comprise anymaterials that are the same or different from the materials of the loadbearing member 105. Though illustrated as having a circumference forsimplicity, the collar 123 may be any shape or size.

As an additional or alternative safety feature, the collar 123 isconfigured to interact, for example, via an impact or pressing action,with any of the support brackets 109 and/or the shear member supportbracket 111 at least when the first end portion 105 a of the loadbearing member 105 is in the fully retracted position, or when the shearmember 113 is not engaged in the shear member receiving portion. Thecollar 123, like the shear member 113, is configured to divert a forceapplied to the first end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105through a support bracket 109 or the shear member support bracket 111,the mounting member 101, and accordingly, to the couplings 103 and thevehicular frame 117. Such diversion of force protects the load bearingmember actuator 107 from damage and may also optionally limit anynecessary high strength elements of the system 100 to only the loadbearing member 105, the shear member 113, and the shear member supportbracket 111, for example.

In one or more embodiments, the load bearing member 105 is at leastconfigured to withstand a compressing impact force applied in thedirection 121 by a standard encroaching motor vehicle weighingapproximately 5,500 lbs traveling at 2 mph without plastic deformationto the load bearing member 105. In other words, the load bearing member105 is at least configured to withstand an impact force of up to about5,000 lbf to the first end portion 105 a of the load bearing memberwithout experiencing plastic deformation. In other embodiments, the loadbearing member 105 may be configured to withstand an impact force of anyvalue up to about 15,000 lbf without plastic deformation, which wouldmore than accommodate for an impact load resulting from a standardencroaching motor vehicle weighing approximately 5,000 lbs and travelingat 5 mph. The maximum impact force load that the load bearing member 105can accommodate may be selected depending on a particular implementationof the system 100 and is dependent on the material selection, geometry,extension length of the load bearing member 105 and any desired safetyfactor.

For example, because the maximum impact force load that the load bearingmember 105 can accommodate in the direction 121 without plasticdeformation is based, at least in part, on the geometry of the loadbearing member 105, the load bearing member 105 may include one or morerod or telescoping portions that may be any combination of circular,triangular, rectangular, square, octagonal, hexagonal, or any otherpolygonal shape in its cross section. Additionally, any or all portionsof the load bearing member 105 may be hollow or solid in itscross-section. In some embodiments, however, the load bearing member 105may comprise one or more linkages that facilitate movement of the firstend portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105. Similarly, the loadbearing member 105 may be any length depending on its intendedapplication. The length, material, and cross-sectional geometry of theload bearing member 105 may be varied in one or more embodimentsdepending on application so that the load bearing member 105 isconfigured to withstand any reasonably expected impact force loadwithout plastic deformation within a desired safety factor.

In some embodiments, as an additional or alternative safety feature tothose discussed above, the couplings 103 may be configured to fail orbreak-away upon a particular load threshold being exceeded. For example,a load threshold may relate to any of an impact load or static loadapplied to the first end portion 105 a,or any other portion of the loadbearing member 105. Such a load threshold limit may be configured toprotect the vehicular frame 117 and/or any other vehicular elements oroccupants from experiencing damage or injury that may be attributed tothe load applied to the load bearing member 105. For example, manyconventional motor vehicle today are configured to deploy a safetyairbag based on an impact caused by a standard motor vehicle approachingat about 14 mph which is about 35,000 lbf.

Accordingly, in some embodiments, the load threshold limit may be set tobe is greater than or equal to about 25,000 lbf so that the system 100is caused to break away from the vehicular frame when the first endportion 105 a is subjected to an impact load that is less than thecurrent vehicle safety standards. Accordingly, any force subjected tothe first end portion 105 a that is above the load threshold limit wouldnot be entirely transferred to the vehicular frame 117 and/or anyvehicle occupants to which the system 100 is attached. In otherembodiments, the load threshold limit may be set to be about 35,000 lbfto approximately comply with conventional airbag deployment limits. Or,for example, the load limit threshold may be any value that is greaterthan or equal to an established maximum impact force the load bearingmember 105 can withstand without plastic deformation. Such a scenariomay be applicable, for example, if safety standards in motor vehiclescontinually evolve, or if, for example, the system 100 is employed in anapplication other than in a stationary motor vehicle, such as a boat orairplane.

As an additional or alternative safety measure, the system 100 mayinclude a backing plate 131 attached to or integrally formed with themounting member 101. The backing plate 131 may comprise the same ordifferent materials as the mounting member 101. The backing plate 131 isconfigured to prevent movement of the load bearing member 105 and/or theload bearing member actuator 107 at least partially along the direction121 caused by any impact load applied to the load bearing member 105.

According to various embodiments, the system 100 may include or be incommunication with a controller 150 implemented in a chip set such asthat discussed below in FIG. 10 that is either on-board the system 100or positioned remotely from the system 100. For example, the controller150 may be hardwired to the system 100 or may be configured tocommunicate wirelessly with the system 100 via any of a WIFI connection,Bluetooth® connection, near field communication, and/or any otherwireless protocol, etc.

The controller 150 may be configured to communicate either directly orindirectly with any of the load bearing member actuator 107 and/or theshear member actuator 115 to cause at least the first end portion 105 aof the load bearing member 105 to be moved to the predetermined positionon demand. For example, the controller 150 may be configured todetermine a vehicle to which the system 100 is attached is made to be ina parked position by either interfacing with the vehicle's controlsystem or based on one or more motion sensors, for example.

Upon determining the vehicle is in a parked position, the controller 150may cause the first end portion 105 a to be moved from the fullyretracted position to a predetermined position that may be set for aparking application which may include a parking type and/or apredetermined position based on a determined available spacing betweenthe vehicle and any nearby vehicle or object. Or, for example, thecontroller 150 may be configured to cause the first end portion 105 a ofthe load bearing member 105 to be moved to the predetermined positionupon receipt of an instruction from a user or vehicle operator if thevehicle is in motion or not officially in a parked position. Such aninstruction may be to move the first end portion 105 a of the loadbearing member 105 to a predetermined position that corresponds with aposition that would normally apply if the vehicle were in a parkedposition, or an instruction may be based on a user input that indicatesa custom predetermined position. Accordingly, in some embodiments, thecontroller 150 may be configured to distinguish between a vehicle thatis merely stationary and a vehicle that is parked so as to avoidunnecessary or unwanted deployment of the first end portion 105 a of theload bearing member.

If the controller 150 is configured to control movement of the first endportion 105 a of the load bearing member 105, a user could instruct thatthe first end portion 105 a be moved to a specific predeterminedposition that is a specific deployment amount from the fully retractedposition or external plane or surface 126 of the vehicular externalelement 119 such as 6 inches, or the user may instruct that the firstend portion 105 a be moved until the user indicates that the movementshould stop. An instruction to stop movement of the first end portion105 a of the load bearing member 105 yields the predetermined positionat the moment that the instruction to stop movement is provided by theuser.

Similarly, the controller 150 may control movement of the first endportion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 to a predetermined positionbased on a received instruction to move the first end portion 105 a ofthe load bearing member 105 so that one or more lifestyle accessories122 or lifestyle accessory support members 124 may be attached to thefirst end portion 105 a. The predetermined position in this application,as discussed above, may be based on a particular type of life styleaccessory 122 that is to be attached to the load bearing member 105,based on a determined available spacing for deployment of the first endportion 105 a of the load bearing member 105, or based on a user inputor instruction.

In one or more embodiments, the controller 150 may be configured tocommunicate with at least one sensor 151 that may be onboard the system100 or positioned on a vehicle to which the system 100 is attached. Thecontroller 150 may be configured to communicate with any sensor 151 byway of a hard wired or wireless connection such as a WIFI connection,Bluetooth® connection, near field communication, and/or any otherwireless protocol, etc. Any number of sensors 151 may be individually orcollectively configured to collect data that may be used by thecontroller 150 to determine any combination of distance between thesensor 151 or vehicle to which the system 100 is attached and an objectsuch as another vehicle or obstruction, the distance between the firstend portion 105 a and any object, and/or any movement of the vehicle towhich the system 100 is attached. Accordingly, in some embodiments, thecontroller 150 may receive data from a sensor 151 to determine an amountof free space between the first end portion 105 a and/or vehicle and anyobject via a proximity sensor 151 to ensure that the first end portion105 a is not deployed to a predetermined position unless there existssufficient free space to allow a designated deployment amount. In someembodiments, as discussed above, the predetermined position is based, atleast in part, on the determined amount of free space between the firstend portion 105 a of the load bearing member and/or the vehicle and anydetermined object in a range of the sensor 151.

According to various embodiments, the controller 150 may be configuredto communicate with any number of system 100's that may be attached toany portion of a vehicle, as discussed above. For example, a motorvehicle may have four system 100's, system 100 a,system 100 b,system 110c,and system 100 d attached to a vehicular frame 117. System 100 a andsystem 100 b could be attached to a front portion of the motor vehiclewhile system 100 c and 100 d could be attached to a rear portion of themotor vehicle. The controller 150, in this example, may be configured tocontrol each of the four systems 100 a-d so that each of the systems 100moves the respective first end portions 105 a of its respective loadbearing members 105 to a same or different predetermined position. Forexample, based on sensor 151 feedback and distance determination for thefront portion and rear portion of the vehicle, the controller 150 maycause the front system 100 a and the front system 100 b to move theirrespective first end portions 105 a to a predetermined position that isof a lesser distance from their corresponding fully retracted positionsthan the rear system 100 c and rear system 100 d if there is simply lessroom to deploy the first end portions 105 a of the front systems 100 aand 100 b than the rear systems 100 c and 100 d.

The controller 150 is also configured to cause the first end portion 105a to be retracted to a predetermined position that is the fullyretracted position or a predetermined position that is closer to thefully retracted position than a currently deployed position of the firstend portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 on demand. Such aretraction might be either based, for example, on a determination orinstruction that the vehicle is about to move from a parked orstationary position to ease egress from the parked or stationaryposition, to reduce the amount of spacing that is being preserved arounda stationary vehicle, or to simply retract the first end portion 105 aof the load bearing member 105 when the load bearing member 105 is nolonger needed for lifestyle accessory 122 attachment.

According to various embodiments, the controller 150 may be incommunication with a vehicle's horn system, or the system 100 mayadditionally comprise a horn or speaker 128 such that the controller 150may cause an audio alert as a safety convenience for the surroundingarea to indicate that the load bearing member 105 a is being moved to apredetermined position by way of deployment away from the vehicularframe 117 in the direction 121 and/or being retracted toward thevehicular frame 117 along the direction 121. Similarly, the first endportion 105 a of the load bearing member may be outfitted with one ormore lights 130 that may include, for example, light bulbs or LEDs thatflash as an alert that the first end portion 105 a is in motion.Alternatively, the controller 150 may be in communication with thevehicle's lighting system or with an external lighting system 132associated with the system 100, for example, to provide such a visualalert.

As discussed above, in one or more embodiments, inherent to the highstrength design of the load bearing member 105 and the other componentsof the system 100 to withstand the above-mentioned impact loads, theload bearing member 105 also serves as a high strength cantileveredsupport that allows for load-bearing lifestyle accessories 122 to beattached to and supported by the load bearing member 105. As such, inthis example, the first end portion 105 a is configured to facilitatelifestyle accessory attachments by way of a lifestyle accessoryreceiving portion 129. The lifestyle accessory receiving portion 129 isconfigured to enable attachment of one or more lifestyle accessorysupport members 124 that may be any of a bracket that fits into thelifestyle accessory receiving portion 129 or a clamp that attaches tothe lifestyle accessory receiving portion 129. In the alternative, thelifestyle accessory receiving portion 129 may be a protrusion from theload bearing member 105 to which a life style accessory support member124 may be attached. Regardless of its geometry, in some embodiments,the lifestyle accessory receiving portion 129 may be configured tocooperate with specific proprietary lifestyle support members or, inother embodiments, the lifestyle accessory receiving portion 129 may beconfigured to universally cooperate with various types of commerciallyavailable lifestyle accessory support members 124.

In some embodiments, if a vehicle is outfitted with more than one system100, the plurality of system 100's may be configured to operateseparately to accommodate one or more lifestyle accessories 122 orcooperatively to accommodate the same lifestyle accessory 122 or manylifestyle accessories 122 via one or more lifestyle accessory supportmembers 124.

For example, one or more lifestyle accessory support members 124 may beseparate from or integrally formed with any lifestyle accessory 122 andconfigured to cooperate with the lifestyle accessory receiving portion129. Example lifestyle accessories 122 may include, but not be limitedto: mounts for chairs or loveseat-sized benches that could be used invarious tailgating and/or camping applications; supports or mounts fortables in front of or behind a vehicle to support tools or parts duringmaintenance/repair of the vehicle; mounts for a grill or cooler duringtailgating and/or camping activities; mounts for a tent structure eitherover or adjacent to the vehicle using front and/or rear system 100's,etc.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example implementation of a plurality of system100's in a motor-vehicle application, according to one embodiment. Asdiscussed above, one or more system 100's may be used individually ortogether to preserve spacing around a stationary vehicle. In thisexample a motor vehicle 201 is in a stationary position 207 between aforward motor vehicle 203 and a rearward motor vehicle 205 along a curb206. The motor vehicle 201 has system 100 a and system 100 b attached toa forward portion 201 a of the motor vehicle 201 to preserve forwardspacing 211. The motor vehicle 201 also has a system 100 c and 100 dattached a rearward portion 201 b of the motor vehicle 201 to preserverearward spacing 213.

Each of the system 100's have their respective load bearing members 105,discussed above, deployed to their respective predetermined positions topreserve the forward spacing 211 and the rearward spacing 213. If, forexample, motor vehicle 201 is in the stationary position 207,encroachment by either of the forward motor vehicle 203 or rearwardmotor vehicle 205 into the forward spacing 211 or the rearward spacing213, respectively, is limited because the system 100's are preservingthat space. As such, various external vehicular elements such arebumpers, in this example, may be protected from contact with the forwardmotor vehicle 203 and the rearward motor vehicle 205. When a vehicleoperator desires to move the motor vehicle 201 from the stationaryposition 207, the vehicle operator may instruct the system 100's toretract their respective load bearing members 105 by, for example, anexplicit instruction processed by the controller 150, or if thecontroller 150 is configured to communicate with the motor vehicle 201'scontrol system, the controller 150 may cause the system 100's to movetheir respective load bearing members 105 such that the first endportion 105 a is moved to a predetermined position at least closer tothe fully retracted position than a current deployed state or all theway to the fully retracted position. Alternatively, the load bearingmembers 105 may be retracted manually by a hand crank, for example. Oncethe load bearing members 105 are in the fully retracted position, or atleast partially moved toward the fully refracted position, the motorvehicle 201 is able to move from the stationary position 207 to anegress position 209 with plenty of room for maneuvering between themotor vehicle 201 and the forward motor vehicle 203 and rearward motorvehicle 205.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side-view of the system 100 having a top-mountedshear member support bracket 111, according to one example embodiment.

The shear member 113, in this example, is in a disengaged position. Thecontroller 150, discussed above, is configured to communicate eitherdirectly or indirectly with the shear member actuator 115, discussedabove, to cause the shear member 113 to be moved from the illustrateddisengaged position into an engaged position within the load bearingmember 105 as it is moved into a shear member receiving portion 301 in adirection 303.

As discussed above, the shear member support bracket 111 is configuredto (1) support the load bearing member 105 so as to allow the first endportion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 to be moved to thepredetermined position, (2) support the shear member actuator 115,discussed above, and (3) allow the shear member 113 to pass through theshear member support bracket 111 and into the shear member receivingportion 301 in the load bearing member 105. The shear member receivingportion 301 may be, for example, a hole or slot in the load bearingmember 105 that is configured to have a same geometry in itscross-section as that of the shear member 113 in its cross-section.Accordingly, the shear member 113 and shear member receiving portion 301are configured to mate when the load bearing member 105 is in a deployedposition that aligns with the shear member 113, such as in a fullyextended position. The shear member receiving portion 301 is between thefirst end portion 105 a and the second end portion 105 b of the loadbearing member 105. The shear member receiving portion 301 may be any ofa through-hole or partial bore into the load bearing member 105.

FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up side view of the shear member supportbracket 111. In this example the shear member support bracket 111 isconfigured to have the shear member actuator 115 mounted to a top-sideof the shear member support bracket 111 with respect to the mountingmember 101. The shear member 113 is in a disengaged position as it isnot inserted into the shear member receiving portion 301, discussedabove. The shear member 113 is caused to move by the shear memberactuator 115 in this example by way of a linkage 401 that drives theshear member 113 through the shear member support bracket 111 and intothe shear member receiving portion 301. The linkage 401 may be set inmotion by the shear member actuator 115 moving the shear member 113 intothe engaged position in the shear member receiving portion 301 through asupport member opening 403 or, in some embodiments, the linkage 401 mayinclude a pivotal torsion spring 405 configured to cause the linkage 401to move the shear member 113 into or out of the shear member receivingportion 301 through the shear support opening 403, depending onarrangement of the shear member actuator 115, the linkage 401 and thespring 405. For example, the shear member actuator 115 may cause theshear member 113 to move in a direction opposite that of a forceresulting from the spring 405 applied to the shear member 113 by way ofthe linkage 401. Accordingly, the shear member actuator 115 could be anyof a push or pull-type actuator, or the shear member actuator 115 couldbe configured to push and pull the linkage 401, causing motion of theshear member 113. The linkage 401 is configured to affect the travellength of the shear member 113 in the direction 407 which may be any ofless than, equal to, or greater than a diameter or thickness of the loadbearing member 105 in the direction 407, depending on any shear memberforce diversion degree requirements of a particular application of thesystem 100. This example arrangement has a smaller footprint than havinga linear actuator as the shear member actuator 115, which will bediscussed in more detail below.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example embodiment in which the first portion 105a of the load bearing member 105 is in a predetermined position otherthan its fully retracted position and the shear member 113 is in anengaged position within the shear member receiving portion 301. Theshear member 113 is used to isolate the load bearing member actuator107, discussed above, from any impact loads applied to the first endportion 105 a of the load bearing member 105. The shear memberre-directs a load path induced into the load bearing member 105 when itis deployed to a predetermined position other than the fully retractedposition, such as the fully extended position or any point between thefully extended position and the fully retracted position. To be able towithstand impact loads applied to the load bearing member, the shearmember support bracket 111 may be integrally formed with the mountingmember 101 or attached to the mounting member 101 by high strengthfasteners 501 such as screws or bolts that are of a sufficient strengthto accommodate expected impact loads for a particular implementation ofthe system 100.

As discussed above, the shear member 113 is caused to be moved to theengaged position inside the shear member receiving portion 301 which maybe, for example, a transverse through-hole or partial bore in the loadbearing member 105, at least when the first end portion 105 a of theload bearing member 105 has reached its fully extended position.Alternatively, the load bearing member may have multiple shear memberreceiving portions 301 along its length in the direction 121 toaccommodate the shear member 113 being moved into an engaged position atone of a plurality of deployment position possibilities so as to provideload diversion capability regardless of whether the first end portion105 a of the load bearing member 105 is in its fully extended position,and to provide flexibility of use. For example, if there is only alimited amount of space available for moving the first end portion 105 aof the load bearing member 105 to a predetermined position and thatpredetermined position is less than the fully extended position, thesystem 100 could still provide the benefit of impact load diversion evenif the first end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 is not inits fully extended position, provided the predetermined position is onethat coincides with one of the multiple shear member receiving portions301 being aligned with the shear member 113. As the first end portion105 a is moved away from the fully retracted position, the collar 123 isalso moved away from the shear member support bracket 111, as isillustrated in FIG. 5, because the first end portion 105 a of the loadbearing member is deployed to a predetermined position other than thefully retracted position.

FIG. 6 illustrates a side-view of an example shear member supportbracket 111 having a linear shear member actuator 115, according to oneexample embodiment. The shear member support bracket 111, in thisexample, is attached to the mounting member 101 by fasteners 501. Theshear member 113 is in its engaged position inside the shear memberreceiving portion 301 of the load bearing member 105. In this exampleembodiment, the shear member actuator 115 is a linear actuatorconfigured to move the shear member 113 between its engaged positioninside the shear member receiving portion 301 and its disengagedposition outside of the shear member receiving portion 301. In thisembodiment, because the shear member actuator 115 is a linear actuator,there is no need for a complex linkage system like linkage 401,discussed above, but this embodiment would increase the footprint sizeof the system 100 compared to a system 100 having a shear memberactuator 115 mounted on a top-side of the shear member support bracket111 with respect to the mounting member 101.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example embodiment in which the mounting member101 of the system 100 is configured to be indirectly attached to avehicular frame 117 discussed above and hidden from view in by avehicular external element 119. This embodiment is an example of analternative implementation of the system 100 in which a vehicle to whichthe system 100 is attached does not include a cooperating vehicularexternal element 119 such as one having a through-hole, as discussedabove, or in which it is undesirable to attach the mounting member 101directly to the vehicular frame 117.

To facilitate indirectly attaching the mounting member 101 to thevehicular frame 117, the system 100 may further comprise a mounting kit701 that is configured to coordinate with a vehicular external element119 and/or the vehicular frame 117. In this example, the mounting kit701 comprises a first clamp 703, a second clamp 705, a base plate 707,mounting kit fasteners 709, and a mounting kit coupling 711. In thisexample, the mounting kit 701 is configured to be attached to, or tosecurely, surround a vehicular external element 119, such as a bumper,or a portion of a vehicular frame 117. Each of the first clamp 703 andthe second clamp 705 may be mounted onto the vehicular external element119 or the vehicular frame 117 and secured in place by the mounting kitcoupling 711. The base plate 707 is accordingly attached to one or moreof the first clamp 703 and the second clamp 705 by mounting kitfasteners 709. The mounting member 101 of the system 100 is then able tobe indirectly mounted to the vehicular frame 117 by attaching themounting member 101 to the base plate 707 by way of coupling 103 insteadof directly to the vehicular frame 117 by way of the couplings 103.

It should be noted that the mounting kit 701 may take any form thatenables the system 100 to be indirectly attached to the vehicular frame117 such as, but not limited to, a singular first clamp 703, or anyvariation of the number of clamps or alternative numbers of base plates707. For example, various vehicles may require specific or alternativearrangements of mounting kit 701 features to attach a system 100indirectly to a particular vehicular frame 117 safely and efficiently.

FIG. 8. illustrates another example embodiment in which the mountingmember 101 of the system 100 is configured to be indirectly attached toa vehicular frame 117 discussed above and hidden from view in by avehicular external element 119.

In this example, the system 100 further comprises a trailer hitchmounting kit 801 that includes a trailer hitch adapter 803 configured tobe inserted into a conventional or proprietary trailer hitch 805. Thetrailer hitch 805, conventionally being securely mounted to thevehicular frame 117 or a vehicular external element 119, provides ameans to indirectly attach the mounting member 101 to the vehicularframe 117. The trailer hitch mounting kit 801 also includes a trailerhitch base plate 807 that is configured to be attached to the trailerhitch adapter 803 by trailer hit fasteners 809. The trailer hitch baseplate 807 and the trailer hitch fasteners 809 may be the same as, ordifferent from, the base plate 707 and mounting kit fasteners 709,discussed above.

The mounting member 101 of the system 100 can then be indirectly mountedto the vehicular frame 117 by attaching the mounting member 101 to thetrailer hitch base plate 807 using couplings 103 instead of directly tothe vehicular frame 117 by way of the couplings 103.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a process for preserving spacing around avehicle, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the controller150, discussed above, performs at least some of the steps in process 900and, for example, is implemented in a chip set including a processor anda memory as shown in FIG. 10. In step 901, the mounting member 101,having at least one support bracket 109, is attached to a vehicularframe 117 by one or more couplings 103. In embodiments, as discussedabove, the one or more couplings 103 are configured to fail based, atleast in part, on a load threshold being exceeded. According to variousembodiments, the load threshold is associated with an impact loadapplied to at least the first end portion 105 a of the load bearingmember 105. In some embodiments, as discussed above, the load thresholdis greater than or equal to about 25,000 lbf. In one or moreembodiments, as discussed above, the load bearing member 105 isconfigured to withstand an impact force applied to the first end portion105 a of up to about 15,000 lbf without plastic deformation.

Next, if the system 100 is configured to include one or more sensors151, discussed above, the process optionally continues to step 903. Ifthe system 100 does not include a sensor 151, then the process skips tostep 909. In step 903, the controller 150 causes, at least in part, thesensor 151 to collect data related to distance determination. Then, instep 905, the controller 150 processes the data collected by the sensor151 to determine one or more of (1) the presence of an obstruction suchas another vehicle or object, (2) the distance between the first endportion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 and the determinedobstruction, and (3) the absence of an obstruction.

The process continues to step 907 in which the controller 150 causes, atleast in part, a predetermined position to which at least the first endportion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 is to be moved to be based,at least in part, on one or more of the determined distance between thefirst end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 and thedetermined obstruction; the determined absence of an obstruction; and/ora user preference such as a limitation on the distance of thepredetermined position from the fully retracted position or an overrideof any limitation that the controller 150 may impose on a distance thepredetermined position may be in relation to the fully retractedposition based on any determined presence of one or more obstructions

Next, in step 909, the controller 150 causes at least the first endportion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 to be moved to thepredetermined position in the direction 121 within a range from a fullyretracted position to a fully extended position by way of the loadbearing member actuator 107. The load bearing member actuator 107 isoperatively coupled to the load bearing member 105 so that the loadbearing member actuator 107 is configured to selectively controlmovement of at least the first end portion 105 a of the load bearingmember 105.

When the first end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 is beingmoved to the predetermined position, the first end portion 105 a iseither caused to be moved through a cooperating vehicular externalelement 119 having a through-hole, as discussed above, or caused to bemoved while avoiding contact with a vehicular external element 119. Ifthe first end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 is caused tobe moved to the predetermined position while avoiding contact with thevehicular external element, then, as discussed above, the mountingmember 101 and at least one support bracket 109 are either configured tocantilever at least a section of the load bearing member 105 tofacilitate movement of the first end portion 105 a of the load bearingmember 105 to the predetermined position while avoiding contact with thevehicular external element 119, or the mounting member 101 is indirectlyattached to the vehicular frame 117 by way of either the mounting kit701, or trailer hitch mounting kit 801, for example.

If the load bearing member is configured to include a lifestyleaccessory receiving portion 129, as discussed above, the processoptionally continues to step 911; otherwise, the process continues tostep 913. In step 911, the controller 150 causes, at least in part, theload bearing member 105 to accommodate one or more lifestyle accessorysupport members 124 associated with at least one optional attachmentsuch as a lifestyle accessory 122. As discussed above, the at least oneoptional attachment may be one or more of a bicycle rack, a seat, atable, a grill, a storage container, tents, etc. The controller 150 maycause the first end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 to bemoved to a predetermined position associated with successfullyaccommodating any generic lifestyle accessory 122 or any specificlifestyle accessory 122, or to a predetermined position based on adetermination of an available spacing or a user instruction.

As discussed above, in some embodiments, the support brackets 109 mayalso include at least one shear member support bracket 111. As such, theprocess continues to step 913 in which the controller 150 causes, atleast in part, the shear member actuator 115 to move the shear member113 supported by the shear member support bracket 111 between an engagedposition and a disengaged position. The shear member actuator 115 isoperatively coupled to the shear member 113. The shear member 113, asdiscussed above, is configured to deflect a load applied to at least thefirst end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 from the loadbearing member 105 through the shear member support bracket 111 when theshear member 113 is in the engaged position. The shear member 113 is inits engaged position when the shear member 113 is inserted into a shearmember receiving portion 301 positioned between the first end portion105 a and the second end portion 105 b of the load bearing member 105.

Then, in step 915, the controller 150 causes, at least in part, thecollar 123 positioned between the first end portion 105 a and the secondend portion 105 b of the load bearing member 105 to be in position todeflect a load applied to at least the first end portion 105 a of theload bearing member 105 from the load bearing member 105 through atleast one support bracket 109 that may include the shear member supportbracket 109, depending on the arrangement of the system 100, when thefirst end portion 105 a of the load bearing member 105 is in the fullyretracted position.

The processes described herein, wholly or at least partially, forpreserving spacing around a vehicle may be advantageously implementedvia software, hardware, firmware, or a combination of software and/orfirmware and/or hardware. For example, the processes described herein,may be advantageously implemented via processor(s), a Digital SignalProcessing (DSP) chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit(ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc. Such exemplaryhardware for performing the described functions is detailed below.

FIG. 10 illustrates a chip set or chip 1000 upon which an embodiment ofthe controller may be implemented. Chip set or chip 1000 is programmedto preserve spacing around a vehicle as described herein, and mayinclude, for example, bus 1001, processor 1003, memory 1005, DSP 1007and ASIC 1009 components.

The processor 1003 and memory 1005 may be incorporated in one or morephysical packages (e.g., chips). By way of example, a physical packageincludes an arrangement of one or more materials, components, and/orwires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard) to provide one ormore characteristics such as physical strength, conservation of size,and/or limitation of electrical interaction. It is contemplated that incertain embodiments, the chip set or chip 1000 can be implemented in asingle chip. It is further contemplated that in certain embodiments, thechip set or chip 1000 can be implemented as a single “system on a chip.”It is further contemplated that in certain embodiments, a separate ASICwould not be used, for example, and that all relevant functions asdisclosed herein would be performed by a processor or processors. Chipset or chip 1000, or a portion thereof, constitutes a means forperforming one or more steps of preserving spacing around a vehicle.

In one or more embodiments, the chip set or chip 1000 includes acommunication mechanism, such as bus 1001, for passing information amongthe components of the chip set or chip 1000. Processor 1003 hasconnectivity to the bus 1001 to execute instructions and processinformation stored in, for example, a memory 1005. The processor 1003may include one or more processing cores with each core configured toperform independently. A multi-core processor enables multiprocessingwithin a single physical package. Examples of a multi-core processorinclude two, four, eight, or greater numbers of processing cores.Alternatively, or in addition, the processor 1003 may include one ormore microprocessors configured in tandem via the bus 1001 to enableindependent execution of instructions, pipelining, and multithreading.The processor 1003 may also be accompanied by one or more specializedcomponents, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSP) 1007 orone or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) 1009, toperform certain processing functions and tasks. A DSP 1007 typically isconfigured to process real-world signals (e.g., sound) in real timeindependently of the processor 1003. Similarly, an ASIC 1009 can beconfigured to perform specialized functions that a more general purposeprocessor could not perform (or could not perform as easily). Otherspecialized components to aid in performing the functions describedherein may include one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA),one or more controllers, or one or more other special-purpose computerchips.

In one or more embodiments, the processor (or multiple processors) 1003performs a set of operations related to preserving spacing around avehicle based on information as specified by a computer program codeconfigured to cause such operations. The computer program code is a setof instructions or statements providing instructions for the operationof the processor and/or the computer system to perform specifiedfunctions. The code, for example, may be written in a computerprogramming language that is compiled into a native instruction set ofthe processor. The code may also be written directly using the nativeinstruction set (e.g., machine language). The set of operations includesbringing information in from the bus 1001 and placing information on thebus 1001. The set of operations also typically includes comparing two ormore units of information, shifting positions of units of information,and combining two or more units of information, such as by addition ormultiplication or logical operations like OR, exclusive OR (XOR), andAND. Each operation of the set of operations that can be performed bythe processor is represented to the processor by information calledinstructions, such as an operation code of one or more digits. Asequence of operations to be executed by the processor 1003, such as asequence of operation codes, constitutes processor instructions, alsocalled computer system instructions or, simply, computer instructions.Processors may be implemented as mechanical, electrical, magnetic,optical, chemical, or quantum components, among others, alone or incombination.

The processor 1003 and accompanying components have connectivity to thememory 1005 via the bus 1001. The memory 1005 may include one or more ofdynamic memory (e.g., RAM, magnetic disk, writable optical disk, etc.)and static memory (e.g., ROM, CD-ROM, etc.) for storing executableinstructions that when executed perform the steps described herein. Thememory 1005 also stores the data associated with or generated by theexecution of the steps.

In one or more embodiments, the memory 1005 stores information,including processor instructions for preserving spacing around avehicle. Dynamic memory allows information stored therein to be changedby system 100. RAM allows a unit of information stored at a locationcalled a memory address to be stored and retrieved independently ofinformation at neighboring addresses. The memory 1005 is also used bythe processor 1003 to store temporary values during execution ofprocessor instructions. The memory 1005 may also be a read-only memory(ROM) or any other static storage device coupled to the bus 1001 forstoring static information, including instructions, that is not changedby the system 100. Some memory is composed of volatile storage thatloses the information stored thereon when power is lost. The memory 1005may also be a non-volatile (persistent) storage device, such as amagnetic disk, optical disk, or flash card, for storing information,including instructions, that persists even when the system 100 is turnedoff or otherwise loses power.

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any mediumthat participates in providing information to processor 1003, includinginstructions for execution. Such a medium may take many forms,including, but not limited to, computer-readable storage media (e.g.,non-volatile media, volatile media), and transmission media.Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks.Volatile media include, for example, dynamic memory. Transmission mediainclude, for example, twisted pair cables, coaxial cables, copper wire,fiber optic cables, and carrier waves that travel through space withoutwires or cables, such as acoustic waves and electromagnetic waves,including radio, optical, and infrared waves. Signals include man-madetransient variations in amplitude, frequency, phase, polarization, orother physical properties transmitted through the transmission media.Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppydisk, flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magneticmedium, a CD-ROM, CDRW, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards,paper tape, optical mark sheets, any other physical medium with patternsof holes or other optically recognizable indicia, a RAM, a PROM, anEPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, an EEPROM, a flash memory, any other memory chipor cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computercan read. The term computer-readable storage medium is used herein torefer to any computer-readable medium except transmission media.

While a number of embodiments and implementations have been described,the disclosure is not so limited. Rather, the disclosure covers variousobvious modifications and equivalent arrangements which fall within thepurview of the appended claims. Although features of various embodimentsare expressed in certain combinations among the claims, it iscontemplated that these features can be arranged in any combination andorder.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for preserving spacing around avehicle, the apparatus comprising: a mounting member having at least onesupport bracket, the mounting member configured to be attached to aframe of the vehicle by one or more couplings, the one or more couplingsconfigured to fail based, at least in part, on a load threshold beingexceeded; a load bearing member supported by the at least one supportbracket, the load bearing member comprising a first end portion and asecond end portion distal the first end portion, at least the first endportion being movable to a predetermined position within a range thatincludes a fully refracted position and a fully extended position; anactuator operatively coupled to the load bearing member, the actuatorbeing configured to selectively control movement of at least the firstend portion of the load bearing member; and a controller coupled withthe actuator, the controller being configured to cause the actuator tomove the first end portion of the load bearing member to thepredetermined position based on a received instruction indicative of apreset parking scenario stored in a memory, wherein the load thresholdis associated with an impact load applied to at least the first endportion of the load bearing member, the predetermined position is one ofa first preset position stored in the memory for a first parkingscenario or a second preset position stored in the memory for a secondparking scenario different from the first parking scenario, at least oneof the first preset position or the second preset position is differentfrom the fully extended position and the fully retracted position, andthe controller is configured to cause the first end portion of the loadbearing member to be moved to the first preset position or the secondpreset position based only on the instruction.
 2. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the at least one support bracket includes at least one shearmember support bracket, and the apparatus further comprises: a shearmember supported by the shear member support bracket and movable betweenan engaged position and a disengaged position, the shear member beingconfigured to deflect a load applied to at least the first end portionof the load bearing member from the load bearing member through theshear member support bracket if the shear member is in the engagedposition; a shear member actuator operatively coupled to the shearmember, the shear member actuator being configured to control movementof the shear member between the engaged position and the disengagedposition; and a shear member receiving portion positioned between thefirst end portion and the second end portion of the load bearing member,the shear member receiving portion being configured to accommodate theshear member in the engaged position, wherein the shear member supportbracket surrounds the load bearing member, the shear member receivingportion is a through-hole in the load bearing member, the through-holehas a first end opening and a second end opening, and the shear memberis configured to contact the shear member support bracket on the firstend opening side of the load bearing member and the second end openingside of the load bearing member if the shear member is in the engagedposition.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a collarportion positioned between the first end portion and the second endportion of the load bearing member, the collar portion being configuredto deflect a load applied to at least the first end portion of the loadbearing member from the load bearing member through the at least onesupport bracket if the first end portion of the load bearing member isin the fully retracted position.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising: a sensor configured to collect data related to distancedetermination, wherein the controller is configured to determine one ormore of (1) the presence of an obstruction, (2) the distance between thefirst end portion of the load bearing member and the determinedobstruction, or (3) the absence of an obstruction based, at least inpart, on the data collected by the sensor, and the controller isconfigured to alter the predetermined position based on one or more ofthe determined distance between the first end portion of the loadbearing member and the determined obstruction, the determined absence ofan obstruction, or a user preference.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the first end portion of the load bearing member is configuredto be moved through a cooperating vehicular external element, and thefirst end portion of the load bearing member is configured to be flushwith the cooperating vehicular external element if the first end portionof the load bearing member is in the fully retracted position.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the mounting member and the at least onesupport bracket provide cantilevered support of at least a section ofthe load bearing member to facilitate movement of the first end portionof the load bearing member to the predetermined position while avoidingcontact with a vehicular external element.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the load bearing member further comprises a receiving portionconfigured to accommodate one or more support members associated with atleast one optional attachment.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein theat least one optional attachment comprises one or more of a bicyclerack, a seat, a table, a grill, a storage container, or a tent.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured tocause the actuator to move the first end portion of the load bearingmember to the predetermined position based on a received instructionindicative of a preset lifestyle attachment function stored in thememory corresponding to whether the at least one optional attachment isthe bicycle rack, the seat, the table, the grill, the storage container,or the tent, the predetermined position is a third preset positionstored in the memory different from the first preset position or thesecond preset position, and the controller is further configured tocause the first end portion to be moved to the third preset positionbased only on the instruction indicative of the preset lifestyleattachment function.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the loadbearing member is configured to withstand an impact force applied to thefirst end portion of up to about 15,000 lbf without plastic deformation.11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first end portion of the loadbearing member comprises a non-marking material.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the first parking scenario is based on an identifiedtype of parking space within which the vehicle to which the mountingmember is attached is parked and the second parking scenario is based ona determination that the vehicle to which the mounting member isattached is stationary and not officially parked.
 13. A method forpreserving spacing around a vehicle, the method comprising: attaching amounting member having at least one support bracket to a frame of thevehicle using one or more couplings, the one or more couplingsconfigured to fail based, at least in part, on a load threshold beingexceeded; and causing, by a processor, in response to a receivedinstruction indicative of a preset parking scenario stored in a memory,a load bearing member supported by the at least one support bracket andhaving a first end portion and a second end portion distal the first endportion to be moved to a predetermined position within a range thatincludes a fully retracted position and a fully extended position by wayof an actuator operatively coupled to the load bearing member, theactuator being configured to selectively control movement of at leastthe first end portion of the load bearing member, wherein the loadthreshold is associated with an impact load applied to at least thefirst end portion of the load bearing member, the predetermined positionis one of a first preset position stored in the memory for a firstparking scenario or a second preset position stored in the memory for asecond parking scenario different from the first parking scenario, atleast one of the first preset position or the second preset position isdifferent from the fully extended position and the fully retractedposition, and the first end portion of the load bearing member is causedto be moved to the first preset position or the second preset positionbased only on the instruction.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein theat least one support bracket includes at least one shear member supportbracket, the method further comprising: causing, at least in part, ashear member supported by the shear member support bracket to be movedbetween an engaged position and a disengaged position by a shear memberactuator operatively coupled to the shear member, the shear member beingconfigured to deflect a load applied to at least the first end portionof the load bearing member from the load bearing member through theshear member support bracket if the shear member is in the engagedposition, wherein the load bearing member further comprises a shearmember receiving portion positioned between the first end portion andthe second end portion of the load bearing member and the shear memberreceiving portion is configured to accommodate the shear member in theengaged position, the shear member support bracket surrounds the loadbearing member, the shear member receiving portion is a through-hole inthe load bearing member, the through-hole has a first end opening and asecond end opening, and the shear member is configured to contact theshear member support bracket on the first end opening side of the loadbearing member and the second end opening side of the load bearingmember if the shear member is in the engaged position.
 15. The method ofclaim 13, further comprising: causing, at least in part, a collarportion positioned between the first end portion and the second endportion of the load bearing member to be in position to deflect a loadapplied to at least the first end portion of the load bearing memberfrom the load bearing member through the at least one support bracket ifthe first end portion of the load bearing member is in the fullyretracted position.
 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:causing, at least in part, a sensor to collect data related to distancedetermination; processing the data collected by the sensor to determineone or more of (1) the presence of an obstruction, (2) the distancebetween the first end portion of the load bearing member and thedetermined obstruction, or (3) the absence of an obstruction; andcausing, at least in part, the predetermined position to be modifiedbased on one or more of the determined distance between the first endportion of the load bearing member and the determined obstruction, thedetermined absence of an obstruction, or a user preference.
 17. Themethod of claim 13, further comprising: causing, at least in part, thefirst end portion of the load bearing member to be moved through acooperating vehicular external element, wherein the first end portion ofthe load bearing member is configured to be flush with the cooperatingvehicular external element if the first end portion of the load bearingmember is in the fully retracted position.
 18. The method of claim 13,further comprising: causing, at least in part, at least the first endportion of the load bearing member to be moved while avoiding contactwith a vehicular external element, wherein the mounting member and theat least one support bracket are configured to cantilever at least asection of the load bearing member to facilitate movement of the firstend portion of the load bearing member to the predetermined positionwhile avoiding contact with the vehicular external element.
 19. Themethod of claim 13, further comprising: causing, at least in part, theload bearing member to accommodate one or more support membersassociated with at least one optional attachment, the at least oneoptional attachment comprising one or more of a bicycle rack, a seat, atable, a grill, a storage container, or a tent.
 20. The method of claim13, wherein the load bearing member is configured to withstand an impactforce applied to the first end portion of up to about 15,000 lbf withoutplastic deformation.